Rotary turbine motor



Nov. 5, 1935. c. G. WAHLSTROM ROTARY TURBINE MOTOR Filed Dec. 20, 1933 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

My invention relates to rotary internal combustion motors of the turbine type and it consists in the constructions, arrangements and combinations herein described and claimed.

It is an object of the invention to provide a turbine motor employing a minimum number of moving parts and in which a single valve is employed.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a motor of compact and rigid construction wherein a compressor member of a gear type is mounted intenorly of a gear type rotor for compressing and expelling gases to the point of ignition.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a jet for atomizing the gases prior to its ignition.

- Additional objects, advantages and features of invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, wherein,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a motor constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a. horizontal sectional view illustrating the rotor in elevation,

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the motor,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the control valve for exhaust gases.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a cylindrical casing l0 formed in two half sections, suitably flanged as at H and I2, for securing the sections together, and if found necessary any suitable packing may be installed between the abutting flange faces, in order to secure a gastight connection. The flange l2 in the present instance, is employed for mounting of the engine, and therefore is shown somewhat larger, extending beyond the flanges II.

The sections defining the casing I 0 are provided with radially projected ears I 3, mating with similar ears l4 formed upon the head members I5 and I6. Thus, the head members l5 and I6 may be bolted to the cylindrical casing in a gas-tight manner which may be effected by providing machined contact faces or by the use of suitable gaskets, as desired.

The casing I0 may be of any desired length and in the present instance, I have illustrated the casing as of a length to house three sets of vanes l'L'iormed integrally with the casing, suitably spaced circumferentially therearound. The vanes project radially inward toward the center of the casing, and it will .be noted that the vanes are disposed at an angle, as clearly shown in dotted lines in' Fig. 2, which act to divert exploded gases and effect rotation of the rotor as will be more readily understood as the description proceeds.

Within the casing I0, I mount a rotor l8 pro- 5 vided upon its exterior surface with radially projected and angularly disposed vanes I9, the angle of these vanes being opposite to that of the vanes H, as may be readily seen from a consideration of Fig. 2. Three sets of vanes l9 are 10 arranged circumferentially around the rotor and occupy the space between the sets of vanes l1 and by the arrangement presented exploded gases will he shunted from one set of vanes to the next adjacent set of vanes until all useful 15 power has been absorbed from the gases when they will be allowed to exit from the casing. The rotor I8 is, of course, rotatably mounted within the casing and this is carried out bythe provision of a cylindrical head'20 seated within 20 a rabbeted portion 2| formed in the adjacent end of the rotor l8, and as shown suitable packing means 22 may be employed between the head and rotor. The head 20 includes an eccentrically mounted hub member 23 formed integrally 25 therewith, open at its opposite end and of a length to stop flush with the end of the rotor. The open end of the hub has formed thereadjacent ears 24 adapted to register with ears 25 formed on the head l5 and it will therefore be an apparent that the head l5 and hub 23 may be drawn together to effect a gas-tight connection.

The rotor I8 has formed upon its inner periphery gear teeth 26 which extend circumferentially therearound and from one end of the rotor 35 to the other, and during rotation of the rotor, the crown portions of the teeth 26 will have a contact bearing upon the wall 21 of the hub 23, but such contacting relation in no manner serving to support the rotor, since such support is accom- 4o plished by the plate 28 of the head l5, which is suitably rabbeted to receive the cylindrical portion 29 of the rotor.

The head I6 is substantially semi-spherical in shape and centrally thereof I provide a bearing 45 30 through which there is anti-frictionally mounted a shaft 3| having a spider 32 positioned within the head, the legs 33 of which are riveted, brazed or welded to the rotor, as clearly apparent from a consideration of Figs. 2 and 4. From the foregoing, it will be understood that the casing l0 and hub 23 remain stationary, while the rotor may be freely revolved.

As has been previously stated, the hub 23 is eccentrically positioned within the rotor and as 55 shown. the wall 21 thereof is concentric with the gear teeth 26 for a substantial distance whence it is bent gradually to define an enlarged portion 34, finally merging with itself in a reduced portion 35, but intermediate the enlarged portion 84 and the reduced portion 35, the wall 21 has formed therein a semi-circular recess 34, for a purpose which will presently appear. The hub 23 occupies approximately one-half of the interior area defined by the gear 26 providing a combined intake and compression chamber 31. A compressor 38 is rotatably mounted within the chamber 31, in the present instance, the compressor being illustrated as a gear having teeth 39 so shaped as to mesh with the teeth 26 of the rotor l8.

Attention is invited particularly to Fig. 4 wherein it is clearly shown that the compressor 38 is of a length to extend into snug contacting relation with the head 20 and the plate 28, the head 20 having a stud bearing shaft 40 journalled in the recess 4| oi' the compressor and in order to reduce friction to a minimum, suitable ball bearings 42 are installed between the shaft and recess. The opposite end of the compressor terminates in a shaft 43 which is anti-frictionally mounted in a bearing 44 formed in the plate 20. The shaft 43 projects beyond the head IS a suitable distance and may be provided with means for manually or mechanically rotating the compressor for initial starting of the motor.

It will be noted that the compressor 38 is so journalled as to lie within the recess 36 of the hub 23, the crowns of the teeth 39 snugly abutting the wall of the recess. Thus, the space between those teeth abreast of the recess 36 defines a closed pocket as at 36a within which a combustible gas may be enclosed for compression, as will be described.

An intake port 45, with which a conventional carburetor may be installed, is formed in the plate 28, the port opening upon the chamber 31, and an outlet port 46 is formed in the head plate 20. The port 46 is positioned at a point immediately below the reduced portion 35 of the hub and in line with a pair of teeth on the compressor and rotor about to become intermeshed, so that gases carried around between the teeth on the compressor and the wall defining the recess 38 will be compressed longitudinally by action of the intermeshed teeth forcing the gases toward and through the outlet port 46, where the gases are conducted to a spark plug 41 by means of an atomizing jet 48 formed in the head plate 20. The jet 48 has an opening 49 of tapering formation, the most restricted portion thereof being adjacent the spark plug, so that a fine gas mist will be expelled at the firing point.

In order to accommodate the exhaust gases, the head l5 has formed therein a circumferential passage 50 opening upon the casing l0 and of a width to overlie the space between the inner periphery of the casing and the outer periphery of the rotor which is the portion of the motor traversed by the exploded gases. An exhaust outlet nipple 5| is in communication with the passage 50 and within the nipple there is a spring seated valve 52. The valve 52 remains normally in seated engagement with its seat but operable to open position upon development of a predetermined pressure developed by the exhaust gases. However, the valve may be manually regulated to vary the setting thereof, by means of a cam lever 53 operable upon the stem of the valve. By manipulating the valve 52 the speed of the rotor may be controlled, 1. e., with the valve 5! closed the back pressure of the gases on the vanes I |l 8 will tend to retard rotation of the rotor with consequent retardation of the compressor 38. reducing the charge of motive fiuid supplied to the combustion chamber, and with opening of the valve, the pres- 5 sure being reduced. the speed of the rotor and compressor will be correspondingly increased.

The operation will be substantially as follows: The compressor 38 is rotated through the shaft 43 causing the rotor I! to be revolved in the direc- 10' tion indicated by the arrow in Fig. 3, by virtue of the intermeshing of the teeth 28 and 3!. Such intermeshing of the teeth will cause a suction of carbureted gas through the intake 45 into the chamber 31. The gas thus drawn into this cham- 15 her will be trapped in the pocket 36a and will be compressed as soon as mating teeth of the rotor and compressor are intermeshed, forcing the gas longitudinally along the pockets defined by intermeshed teeth and through the jet 48 in a fine 20 gaseous mist to be ignited by the spark plug 41. The exploding of the charge takes place in the head i6 completely filling the same and passing evenly to the first stage of vanes l1. The gases will traverse the angularly disposed vanes ll 25 until they encounter the vanes IQ of the rotor which are set at an angle opposite to the first mentioned vanes, thereby reversing direction of flow of the gases. This action is followed throughout the several stages of the vanes until the gases 80 are spent and permitted to exhaust into the port 50.

It should be understood that when the firing of the gaseous charge occurs, a slight back pressure in the jet 48 occurs due to expansion of the 86 gases in the head l6, tending to slightly retard the gaseous mixture discharged therefrom and by such action, a more highly compressing action of the gases is obtained.

I claim:

1. In a rotary turbine motor, a casing, a gear rotor revolubly mounted therein, a gear c031; pressor revolubly mounted within said rotor and having teeth in mesh with the teeth of the gear rotor, an intake port opening upon a pair of 45 partly intermeshed gear teeth and receiving the motive fiuid therebetween, an atomizing nozzle receiving the compressed motive fiuid from intermeshed teeth of the gears, the casing and rotor having means at one end for receiving the com- 50 pressed motive fiuid, vane means on the rotor and casing in communication with the last named means and receiving the impact of the motive fiuid and valve means for controlling the exhaust of the motive fluid from the vanes of the 55 rotor and casing.

2. In a rotary turbine motor, a casing a hollow rotor revolubly mounted in the casing, the rotor having gear teeth internally thereof and extending the length of the rotor, vane members formed on the interior of the casing arranged in circumferential rows, vane members carried by said rotor arranged in circumferential rows, the vane members of the rotor occupying the spaces between the rows of vane members of 55 the casing, a toothed gear member revolubly mounted within the rotor, the teeth thereof being in mesh with the teeth of the rotor throughout its length, an intake port at one end of the casing and opening upon the interior of the rotor, means within said rotor for trapping motive fiuid between pairs of teeth of the gear member for compressing action upon intermeshing of the teeth of the rotor and gear member, an atomizing nozzle receiving the motive fiuid from 7 the intermeshed teeth, a head member on the casing in communication with the vanes and means for controlling the passage of motive fluid around the vanes.

3. In a rotary turbine motor, a casing having a combustion chamber and an exhaust chamber at respective ends thereof, a hollow rotor revolubiy mounted in the casing, and extending the length of the casing, the rotor having internal gear teeth, a fixed hub member within the rotor, the hub having a semi-circular recess, a gear member revolubiy mounted within the rotor and recess and extending throughout the length of the rotor, teeth of the gear being adapted to mesh with the teeth of the rotor, an intake port at one end of the casing opening upon the interior of the rotor whereby upon rotation of the rotor a gaseous charge will be drawn thereinto, an atomizing nozzle aligned with intermeshed teeth of the rotor and gear member and discharging into the combustion chamber, igniting means in the combustion chamber, vane members formed on the interior of the casing arranged in circumferential rows, vane mem- 4. In a rotary motor, a casing having a com-, 5

bustion chamber, a rotor revolubly mounted in the casing, said rotor having internal gear teeth, a toothed compressor member within the rotor ,and in mesh with the teeth of the rotor, the easing and rotorhaving means for admitting an impelling fluid between inter-engaged teeth of the rotor and compressor for compressing and forcing the impelling fluid into the combustion chamber, means in the combustion chamber for igniting the compressed charge and vane means on the rotor and easing receiving the impact of the exploded charge.

5. In a rotary motor, a casing, a hollow rotor revolubiy mounted therein, a rotary compressor member within the rotor in driving contact with the inner circumference thereof and rotated upon rotation of the rotor, means within the rotor interposed between the compressor member and rotor defining a pocket, an intake port opening upon the pocket, an atomizing nozzle associated with the pocket, igniting means adjacent the nozzle, and said casing and rotor having vane members receiving the impact of an ignited charge.

CHARLES G. WAHLSTROM. 

